Your guide to all things prospect, courtesy of Jonathan Mayo

Results tagged ‘ mariners ’

We get a regular report emailed to us when something happens with one of the 600 players on Prospect Watch in pro ball — Top 100 or team Top 20. It helps us know when we need to update the information on there.

Obviously, we can’t update a player’s blurb with every DL move, saving it for the more serious injuries, big promotions, etc. We’ve been having a discussion about what to do with the information otherwise. There’s no clear place to put it, but it’s also good information we’d like to share with everyone. So, for the time being, I’m going to try and post it here whenever possible. Maybe it’ll be a weekly item (Transaction Tuesday — I always do like alliteration). Here’s some of the most recent goings on with the top prospects in the game. I’m focusing on the Minor League ones, figuring most see when guys get called up to the big leagues.

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Believe it or not, this is my first post of 2012. But I have a good reason, honest. First, I was traveling overseas with my family. Don’t believe me? Here’s a picture as proof (Yes, that’s the Dome of the Rock behind my Dome):

The B3 brood in the Old City of Jerusalem (Mrs. B3 is the official family photographer)

Then it was on to the Rookie Career Development Program outside of Washington, D.C. Don’t believe me? Well, proof is in this link, our overview of the Program (with player interviews galore beneath that).

These days, I’m knee deep in prospect ranking work. Don’t believe me? (Perhaps I’m overusing the theme). Proof is the first list that was released today: The Top 10 RHP Prospects, the story as well as in Prospect Watch (with video of each player). Oh, and if you didn’t notice, there’s a brand new central location for all things prospect called Prospect Central. Check it out early and often.

In the midst of all of this, there was the news of the big Yankees-Mariners trade. It’s not official just yet, so no movement on the ol’ 2011 Postseason lists, but it’s coming. And we’re making sure all the 2012 lists are up to date (Top 100 overall coming out on Jan. 25), Top 20 per team coming in February (that’s right, folks, twice as many names!!!! So you understand why the B3 Blog had taken a back seat).

So, the trade… my first gut reaction was that the Mariners gave up too much. But then I talked to a bunch of people who’s opinions I trust in the scouting industry and I’ve come around to this perhaps being a win-win. The Yankees needed starting pitching help and they can, if they so desire, have Michael Pineda for a long time. Jose Campos is a legit prospect as well and even if he’s young and hasn’t pitched in full-season ball, I had one scout tell me he thought he’d be ready by 2014.

The key, though, is Montero (Hector Noesi will contribute, tho). The M’s have wanted him for a while, remember? So now they got their man, the middle of the order (young) bat to put with Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak. But, the $64,000 question is, can he catch?

My thinking is the Yankees didn’t think so, or else they didn’t want to, in the pressure cooker of New York, find out. There was no room for Montero on that roster unless he was going to be a DH at age 22. To me, the writing was on the wall when late last year they needed a catcher, Montero was up, but they brought up Austin Romine instead. Having made the determination that Montero wasn’t going to catch for them anytime soon, they were more willing to part with his bat. This, by the way, is just a theory.

I thought that most in the scouting world agreed that Montero would never have the stuff to catch every day in the big leagues. But it turns out I was wrong. I know, shocking. But in an informal survey I did of some high-level scouts, most actually thought he’d eventually be OK behind the plate. No one was ready to etch his name on Gold Gloves, but those I talked to made comparisons to Javy Lopez (he came up several times), Jorge Posada and, of course, Mike Piazza (Yes, many think Montero’s bat could be THAT good). Here’s some of what they had to say:

“There are a bunch of ex-catchers that made their mark with their bats and figured out the catching position the more they played. Remember, this kid is 22 years old and he can really throw. That’s a good start for his continued development.”

“Yes [he’ll be able to catch]! The team will need patience. He’s better than Mike Napoli was at the same stage!”

“Not now (will he be able to catch full-time), but Javier Lopez did! All catchers that stay there get better if they try!”

“If he hits enough — remember Javy Lopez?”

Told you about the Lopez comps. And scouts really like to use exclamation points in text messages. But that’s neither here nor there.

So, Mariners fans, don’t expect defensive miracles right off the bat. But stick with your soon-to-be new catcher. Sounds like most think he’ll be acceptable back there and the bat will more than make up for any deficiencies with the glove.

Both came after the first round, but both got over-slot deals that fit into late-first round or supplemental round type money. The Mariners were able to sign second-round pick Marcus Littlewood and 16th rounder Jordan Shipers on Monday. You can check out Littlewood’s Draft Report here.

Littlewood, a shortstop from the Utah high school ranks, got $900,000 to sign. Shipers, a prep lefty from Missouri, got $800,000. Littlewood had been committed to the University of San Diego. Shipers was set to go to Missouri State. Instead, both are now Mariners.

The Mariners can now turn their attention to signing third-rounder Ryne Stanek, the Kansas high school product with a commitment to Universiy of Arkansas. They also have James Paxton, the fourth-round pick, but because he was not in school last year, they can negotiate with him past the deadline (like the Royals did with Aaron Crow recently).

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Just what kind of pitcher did the Mariners get in return for Arthur Rhodes? Here’s a closer look at Gaby Hernandez:

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound right-hander was drafted by the New York Mets in the third round o the 2004 draft out of a Miami-area high school. He made an immediate impression by leading the Gulf Coast League with a 1.09 ERA, striking out 58 batters over his first 49 2/3 pro innings.

He was equally impressive in his first full season, reaching Class A Advanced ball as a teenager. In the first half of 2005, Hernandez was a South Atlantic League All-Star, posting a 2.43 ERA and .179 batting average against before struggling a bit following a promotion to the Florida State League. That offseason, he was sent, along with outfielder Dante Brinkley, to the Marlins for catcher Paul LoDuca. His first full season with the Marlins (2006), Hernandez was outstanding, spending the season in the FSL at age 20 and going 9-7 with a 3.68 ERA and a nifty 115/35 K/BB ratio in 120 IP. His 2007 season was a little up-and-down, though he was a Southern League All-Star at age 21 and topped the 150-inning plateau for the first time.

This year, Hernandez was briefly in the mix for the Marlins’ No. 5 starter job in big-league camp. He pitched well in camp, but eventually got sent down and began the year with Triple-A Albuquerque. Things didn’t go well for him in New Mexico, as he went 2-8 with a 7.24 ERA over 13 starts, spending nearly a month on the DL with an intercostal strain, before being sent down to Double-A to get straightened out. He’s gone 3-0 with a 4.30 ERA in four starts and looking a lot sharper.

When Hernandez is right, he’s got a good three-pitch mix: a fastball that sits in the low 90s and can reach 94; a breaking ball that is a plus at times; and a changeup that is also above-average. Even with the demotion to Double-A, Hernandez is still fairly young for his level and could still be ready for a big-league callup in 2009.

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It’s being reported that the Mariners have found a home for LHP Arthur Rhodes: South Florida. According to ESPN, the veteran reliever is being exchanged for 22-year-old Minor League right-hander Gaby Hernandez. He’s dealt with some injuries, but he’s still a big, strong right-hander with some pretty good potential. If the deal is official, it’ll be the second time Hernandez has been a part of a trade, going from the Mets to the Marlins as part of the Paul LoDuca trade in December 2005. More later as it develops…

Note: I have received confirmation from a team source from one of the teams involved that this is indeed a done deal.

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